County resource guide
Autism Resources in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Dauphin County. Pennsylvania statewide resources also apply.
Dauphin County (Harrisburg) is Pennsylvania's capital county, served by Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center — one of the state's major academic medical centers — for comprehensive developmental evaluations. Harrisburg City School District and Central Dauphin School District provide special education. PEAL Center provides free IEP advocacy statewide. Pennsylvania's Adult Autism waiver covers eligible residents.
Provider directory
Local Providers12 providers in Dauphin County
About our listings
Provider listings on Autism Parent Club are submitted by practices or researched from public sources. All listings are reviewed for accuracy before publication. To suggest a correction, use the “Suggest a correction” link below.
Diagnostic clinics
Formal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Hershey
Penn State Health — Pediatric Developmental Behavioral Services
Penn State Health's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, located in Dauphin County, is a major academic medical center offering comprehensive autism evaluations. As the state capital region's premier children's hospital affiliate, it serves families from Harrisburg and central Pennsylvania.
Penn State Hershey is the dominant academic medical center for central PA. Expect waitlists — ask about community referrals.
Hershey · multi-county
Penn State Health Children's Hospital — Developmental Pediatrics
Penn State Health Children's Hospital in Hershey is the primary destination for Lebanon County families seeking comprehensive autism evaluations. Developmental pediatricians and neuropsychologists provide multi-disciplinary assessments. Located 15 miles from Lebanon.
Lebanon County's proximity to Hershey makes Penn State Health the most accessible regional children's hospital for autism evaluations.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Harrisburg
Dauphin County Early Intervention Program
Dauphin County's Early Intervention services for children birth to age 3. Provides developmental evaluations and therapy at no cost for eligible children under Pennsylvania's Early Intervention system. Administered through the Dauphin County MH/ID office.
FREE through Pennsylvania Early Intervention. Your pediatrician can refer, or contact Dauphin County directly.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Harrisburg · multi-county
Centria Autism — Harrisburg
In-home and center-based ABA therapy serving Dauphin County and the greater Harrisburg area. BCBA-supervised services accepting commercial insurance under Pennsylvania's ABA insurance mandate and Medicaid. Covers city and suburban Harrisburg families.
Pennsylvania requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Mechanicsburg · multi-county
Centria Autism — Mechanicsburg
In-home and center-based ABA therapy serving Cumberland County families. BCBA-supervised programs accepting commercial insurance under Pennsylvania's ABA insurance mandate and PA Medicaid. Serves the Mechanicsburg and Carlisle communities.
Pennsylvania requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Harrisburg · multi-county
Autism Society of Greater Harrisburg
Active Autism Society chapter serving Dauphin and Cumberland counties. Provides monthly support groups for parents, social events for autistic individuals, and resource navigation for families in the Harrisburg metro area.
Carlisle · multi-county
Autism Society of Greater Harrisburg — Cumberland County Families
The Greater Harrisburg Autism Society chapter actively serves Cumberland County families with support groups, family events, and resource navigation. The chapter covers both sides of the Susquehanna River.
Lebanon · multi-county
Autism Society of Pennsylvania — South Central Region
The Autism Society of Pennsylvania serves Lebanon County families through its south-central PA network with peer support, resource navigation, and community events accessible from the Lebanon Valley.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Pittsburgh · multi-county
PEAL Center — Cumberland County Families
Pennsylvania's federally funded PTI serving Cumberland County at no cost. Free IEP advocacy, IDEA rights training, and navigation support. Particularly valuable for families in the Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, and Carlisle area school districts.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all Pennsylvania families.
Pittsburgh · multi-county
PEAL Center — Dauphin County / Harrisburg Area
Pennsylvania's federally funded PTI serving Dauphin County families at no cost. As the state capital, Harrisburg is home to many state education agency decisions — PEAL is especially valuable here for navigating Pennsylvania Department of Education policies and Harrisburg City School District disputes.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all Pennsylvania families. Particularly useful for PDE-level advocacy.
Pittsburgh · multi-county
PEAL Center — Lancaster County Families
Pennsylvania's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center serves Lancaster County families at no cost. Provides IEP advocacy, training on IDEA rights, and one-on-one support for navigating school district disputes. Particularly helpful for rural families far from major urban advocacy organizations.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all Pennsylvania families statewide.
Pittsburgh · multi-county
PEAL Center — York County Families
Pennsylvania's federally funded PTI serving York County at no cost. Provides IEP advocacy training, school district navigation, and one-on-one support. Invaluable for families in rural parts of York County where local advocacy resources are sparse.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all Pennsylvania families.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for Dauphin County families
Step-by-step help on the topics that matter most.
School & IEP
Navigating the IEP process
Your rights under IDEA, how evaluations work, and what every IEP section means.
Finding help
ABA, OT, speech and waitlists
How to find qualified providers, navigate insurance, and get off waitlists faster.
Getting started
Where to start after diagnosis
A week-by-week checklist for the first 90 days — from evaluation to early intervention.
Benefits & money
SSI, Medicaid waivers, ABLE accounts
Federal benefits your child may qualify for and how to apply without losing your spot.
Mental health
Co-occurring conditions and support
Managing anxiety, ADHD, and depression alongside an autism diagnosis.
Daily life
Sensory processing and OT
Understanding sensory needs, sensory diets, and how occupational therapy helps.
Adulthood
Employment, housing, legal planning
Supported employment, housing options, guardianship alternatives, and ABLE accounts.
Communities served
Cities in Dauphin County
Serving families across Dauphin County including Harrisburg, Swatara, Lower Paxton, Susquehanna, Penbrook, Steelton, Middletown, Hummelstown, Highspire and Royalton and more.
See all Pennsylvania resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania state guide →Nearby counties in Pennsylvania
See something that needs fixing?
Providers move, phone numbers change, and links break — it happens. If anything on this page is out of date, wrong, or no longer working, please tell us and we’ll fix it. Keeping this accurate for autism families is the whole reason we’re here.
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